Year 6 pupils who will be moving up to secondary school in September have been helping Wirral Council’s road safety team spread valuable road safety messages.
Pupils from Liscard Primary School have been benefiting from the road safety team’s ‘Arrive Alive’ programme, which helps to prepare pupils for the transition from primary to secondary school.
The team points to statistics which it says show that young people are twice as likely to be injured on the roads after they move up to Year 7, largely as a result of longer journeys – either on foot, by car, on a bike or on public transport – and the greater independence they adopt as they get older.
As well as taking part in the programme, the pupils also gave their support to a more general road safety campaign encouraging young people not to be distracted while going to and from school by things like mobile phones.
More than 80 pupils were photographed with a montage of cards spelling out the message ‘Look up @ the road #notatyourphone’.
Councillor Stuart Whittingham said: “Figures show that there are more serious and fatal injuries to school-age pedestrians in the afternoon and early evening than at any other time of the day.
“The message for all road users, but especially young people, is don’t be distracted by friends or your mobile phones – pay attention to what’s happening around you, especially when crossing roads, which are always busier at that time of day with people going home from school and work.
“That goes for drivers too – be even more aware and more vigilant, especially in September when there will be inexperienced young people travelling to school maybe for the first time on their own.”
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